


The Unbroken Path

by eleni459 (quietcuriosity)



Category: Bleach
Genre: Community: 31_days, Gen, Memories, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-03
Updated: 2010-08-03
Packaged: 2017-11-02 12:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/369079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietcuriosity/pseuds/eleni459
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her first solitary trip was fraught with more dangers than she had imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unbroken Path

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 31_days. The theme was "in empty places".

The first stage of the trail was easy enough. She was able to swat away flimsy branches and duck underneath low hanging limbs. The trail itself still showed the barest hint of an outline. The gnarled roots were easily leaped over.

It was only when she moved into the thick of the forest that the path became treacherous. Hinamori constantly whispered kidou spells, forcing the thickest of the branches to bend away as she swept to the tall grasses away with her hands. On a few instances, her foot was stopped by a sudden root and she would fall freely to the ground. At those times, it seemed best to turn around. She still wasn't prepared for a great amount of physical stress. But this was her first excursion on her own since the incident. She wasn't going to let nature stand between herself and her destination.

She chanted with outstretched arms. A small burst of flame stretched outward and eviscerated everything in front of her before flickering away at its own accord. She smiled as the light began to shine through. The glimmer off of the lake peered out in the distance. Nothing had ever appeared so welcome to her. Carefully, she skipped through the new path until she met the edge of the hill. She slid down its bumpy surface until she landed with a thud on the grass below.

She didn't bother to stand. She pulled her legs underneath her and stared out at the view. The lake was just as she remembered it: deeply blue and serene. Though the path had overgrown, the setting itself had not become overgrown or rancid. The grass shone from the remains of dew. Wildflowers swayed in the breeze. She could hear birds tweet in the distance. It was as she remembered it. It had been a place she had gone to a great many of times. She was known for dragging along willing friends so that they all might relax. It was, after all that had happened, a memory that remained pure.

But the sight of a solitary stone sent all those memories crashing. On it was the distinct outline of the 5th division's insignia. She remembered tracing it with a childish spell of her own concoction. She could still see him standing a few paces away and asking her what she was doing. She could remember the smile he gave her when she replied that it the mark was in remembrance of their day together. That smile still seemed brighter than the stars.

With a sigh, Hinamori hoisted herself to her feet. She shook her head as she walked back to the hill. As she grabbed onto a low hanging root, she contemplated how difficult it would be to climb back to the ledge. It was, after all, always harder climb back up than it was to fall down.


End file.
